


Things That Scare Me (songfic)

by cilliance



Series: Scriddler Songfic Collection [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bullying, Character Study, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Origin Story, Revenge, Scarecrow - Freeform, Young jonathan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 14:05:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17899523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cilliance/pseuds/cilliance
Summary: “Blackbirds frying on a wireSame birds that followed me to school when I was youngWere they trying to tell me something, were they telling me to runThe hammer clicks in placeThe world's gonna payI'm a dying breed who still believesHaunted by American dreams”





	Things That Scare Me (songfic)

“Granny,  _ please!”  _ Jonathan cried. 

But Granny Keeny still held onto his thin arm tight. His trembling, nervous hands had caused him to drop and break one of her old plates when making dinner.  _ “Clumsy boy” _ she’d hissed, ordering him to go upstairs and put on his church suit. Jonathan always knew what that meant. 

Already attempting to hold back his tears, but movements automatic, Jonathan had climbed the stairs and dutifully put on his suit as he had many, many times before. While not wanting to make Granny any angrier, Jonathan had moved slowly in hopes of stalling his punishment. 

Now, he was being dragged across their property to the old, empty church on the edge of the field outside the back of the manor. The first few times Granny had done this, Jonathan had kicked and fought, trying to pry off her bony hand and forcing her to pull him hard enough to have his dragging feet leave tracks in the dirt. But he’d learned his lesson. Now, Jonathan walked morosely alongside her, sniffling and staring down at the ground. Either he let her have her way, or he’d receive a worse punishment later.  

Still holding on to Jonathan with one hand, Granny Keeny unlocked the door to the church, then threw Jonathan inside. Jonathan stumbled and turned to see his great-grandmother slam the door in his face. He heard the rattling of the lock from the outside. Cloaked in a sudden, smothering darkness, Jonathan instinctively ran to the door, desperately grabbing at the handle and pounding on the door. 

“Let me out, Granny, please!” he sobbed. 

“This is the only way to get you to behave, boy,” Granny said sternly, “You ought to learn to be thankful to have as generous of a grandmother as you do.” 

And with that, she walked away. Jonathan turned his back to the door and slowly slid against it to the ground. He curled up, resting his head on his knees, and cried softly. He never felt more alone or afraid than being in the church. 

Jonathan gasped suddenly and looked out into the darkness when he heard the sound of fluttering and scratching against the wooden overhead beams. 

Jonathan saw the vague silhouettes of crows in the rafters -- their small, intelligent eyes glinting in the darkness. He knew they were looking at him, too. They always seemed to have had a cruel fascination with him. 

One of the crows then swooped down at him, then the rest followed suit. As soon as Jonathan felt their sharp talons against his skin, he screamed. Jonathan tried to stay silent as the crows picked and scratched at his skin, but he couldn’t help the occasional yelp or hitch of breath. If he had a hard time seeing through the darkness before, his vision was now completely blotted out by the pitch black wings that fluttered in front of his eyes. 

Jonathan curled up in as tight of a ball as he could. He put his face against the ground and covered his neck with his hands. Jonathan had been through this enough times before to know that the crows would not let up until dawn, and that he would be getting no sleep at all. All he could do was protect himself as best he could, and pray that morning came soon.

Jonathan was terrified the whole night, shaking and still curled up in a ball when he finally heard the chains on the outside of the door rattle and fall to the floor. Jonathan, with tears still streaked down his cheeks, unfurled himself and squinted at the first light he’d seen in many hours. 

And there Granny stood, darkening the doorway.  

“Have you learned your lesson, child?” she croaked. 

Jonathan ran to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. He pressed his face into her dress. “Yes, Granny. I’ll do better next time, I promise!” he cried. 

The old woman bristled. She pried Jonathan’s hands off her and lightly shoved him to the side. “Look at yourself, child. You’re filthy! Learn to keep your hands to yourself.” she snapped. 

Jonathan stepped back and wrung his hands together. He looked down at the dirt. “Yes, Granny. I’m sorry.” Jonathan acquiesced. 

“Now go clean yourself up, child. You’ve got work to do.” 

______________________________________

 

Jonathan was walking home from school. He was going home hungry yet again thanks to Jackie and his friends always stealing his lunch money. 

Jonathan was startled when he heard a  _ “caw!” _ from the power lines above him. He saw several crows lined up in a row, all looking down at him. Jonathan stopped for a moment. Despite his fascination with the birds, he felt his heart began to race and his breath became shallow. He looked back at the ground to gather himself. Jonathan brought his gaze back up and gave a small scream when one of the crows leaped from its perch and seemed to fly towards him.

It only landed on a branch a short distance away. Jonathan took a deep breath. 

He jumped again when he heard someone call out from behind and turned to meet whoever it was. 

“Hey, Scarecrow! You’re supposed to scare  _ them,  _ not the other way around!”

It was Bo Griggs with a couple of his friends. Sherry was also at his side. They all laughed at Bo’s joke. Jonathan felt his face get hot. 

“Yeah,  _ Scarecrow!  _ Take the hint and  _ beat it!” _ one of them laughed. 

And Jonathan did. He was able to hold back his tears this time, but he ran all the way home. 

Later that night, Jonathan was still wide awake. He’d been starving all day, and Granny’s supper had left him wanting. When he thought it was late enough in the night, Jonathan snuck downstairs to find something to eat that Granny would hopefully not notice was missing in the morning. 

When he reached the hallway that led to the kitchen, Jonathan noticed that the kitchen lights were on. He hoped that Granny had just forgotten to turn them off when she’d gone to bed, but still, he moved cautiously. 

What he saw caused his heart to jump into his throat. Granny was still awake! She seemed to be cooking something. Jonathan would have thought nothing of it at any other time, but it was absurd to be cooking anything at all not even an hour past midnight. 

Jonathan kept himself out of sight and watched her closely. 

His great-grandmother was mixing a bunch of ingredients in a boiling pot. Jonathan only watched on, tired and confused, until his eyes widened when his granny grabbed a dead rat by its tail and threw it into the pot, too. She must have gotten it from one of the several rat traps scattered around the house. Jonathan silently gagged and had to actively prevent himself from throwing up. 

The old woman did not leave it in there long. With an old ladle, she fished the dead rat out from its stew and laid it back on the counter. Then, she did something that was almost even more confusing than the rat was. Jonathan’s church suit was hanging over one of the chairs, and his granny grabbed it and laid it down next to the boiled rat. 

Granny picked the rat back up, then -- to Jonathan’s horror --tore it apart and wrung it out like a wet rag over Jonathan’s suit. Blood and meat and matted fur got all over his shirt and jacket. His granny had done it all with a completely stoic expression. 

Jonathan felt the vomit rise in his throat, and he felt the intense need to leave --  _ now _ . 

As quickly and quietly as he could, Jonathan ran back upstairs, shut his bedroom door, and threw himself under his covers. It felt like hours, but around fifteen minutes later, Jonathan heard his great-grandmother climb the stairs and slowly open his bedroom door. Jonathan shut his eyes tight, held his breath, and pretended to be asleep. 

Jonathan heard no movement from behind him. His granny simply observed him for several moments before putting the soiled suit back in his closet and shutting the door back behind her. 

Jonathan felt like his mind was running a hundred miles an hour. What was she doing?  _ Why  _ had she done that? 

He could only find one logical conclusion, but he didn’t want to believe it: his great-grandmother forced him to wear that suit every time she locked him in the church because she knew that the concoction she’d created would attract the crows. She  _ wanted  _ them to attack him! 

It wasn’t the wrath of God punishing him for his sins at all. It was her. It had been her all along. 

That cruel, evil old hag… 

Jonathan did not feel sadness, or disappointment, or even  _ fear.  _ All he felt was a strong sense of hatred… and vengeance. Now, he felt like nothing could hold him back. There was no God to punish him. There was no God at all. Just a sad elderly lady who had nothing better to do with her life than to punish a boy for  _ her  _ mistakes. 

With this new knowledge, Jonathan held all the cards. Held all the power. 

And he was going to teach her a lesson. As soon as the opportunity found itself. 

______________________________________

 

Jonathan shut the front door and took off his shoes. He looked around for a moment. The house seemed awfully quiet. 

“Granny?” he called out. Jonathan mentally kicked himself when he realized that she must be taking a nap. Heavens knew she’d be angry if he woke her up. 

Jonathan walked upstairs and set his backpack on his bed. Even on a sleepy afternoon such as this, the house seemed eerily empty. Jonathan tiptoed to Granny’s room and peeked inside. She wasn’t there. Jonathan hadn’t seen her downstairs, either. He felt a small spark of joy when he realized that he’d have the whole place to himself -- at least for a little while. 

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jonathan called out to make sure she wasn’t home one more time before sneaking up the stairs to the Keeny library. Jonathan pulled the key out from Granny’s “hiding place” for it in the hallway drawer table and stuck it in the lock. He had to tug on the handle a few times before the old, unused door came unstuck. 

The rusted hinges squealed as Jonathan slowly pushed the door open. Jonathan took a few, tentative steps inside and sneezed with all the dust floating around in the room. Jonathan quickly recovered, however, when he saw the magnificence of the library. 

The Keeny library put Arlen’s library to shame. Jonathan could only imagine what it had been like in its prime. Shelves upon shelves were filled to the brim with books. Jonathan scanned the shelves to find all sorts of first-edition classics and textbooks in various subjects. Jonathan didn’t think that he’d ever felt this excited. He hoped to one day be able to read every one. 

One book in particular caught his attention, though. It did not look like the others in that it looked like it had been read recently. It was the only one not caked in dust. Jonathan went over and reached up to pull it from its space. He flipped it over and read the cover:  _ Basic Chemistry  _ was all it said. 

Jonathan only meant to flip through it, but when he opened to one page, a small piece of paper fell out. Jonathan bent down to pick it up and skimmed it. His eyes widened. He read it closely a second time, then a third. 

It was his Granny’s handwriting. It was a list of ingredients, the same ones he’d seen Granny put into that concoction that she’d smear all over his clothes to get the crows to attack him. _This_ was how she’d done it! This was it! Jonathan placed the open textbook on the floor gingerly, then ran back to his room to grab a pen and paper. 

Jonathan ran back into the library and copied down the recipe word for word. He then placed the original right back where it’d been and put the textbook back in its place. Jonathan retraced his steps, closing the door to the library, locking it back up again, and putting the key back in the drawer. 

Jonathan had been searching for a way to get back at his Granny, and now, he’d finally found it. All he had to do now was sit and wait for the perfect time to strike. 

After all, it’s how the saying goes: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. 

______________________________________

 

Soon enough, Jonathan would be out of this hellish place for good. 

Not long after discovering Crazy Keeny’s secret recipe, Jonathan had decided to put it to the test. His first trial had been to put the concoction on his lunch money for his bully Jackie Grey, and the experiment had gone splendidly. After Jackie had lost an eye, he hadn’t caused Jonathan any trouble since, and now Jonathan’s confidence had only grown.

Sherry Squires was dead and Bo Griggs was paralyzed for life, all because of Jonathan. And he was proud to admit that he felt no remorse at all. It had been the best prom night he could have asked for, really. Jonathan could feel the Scarecrow knocking on his mind.  

With the “Good Old Boys” and the All-American Cheerleader out of the picture, Jonathan had only one target left: the old crone herself. 

Jonathan had already been accepted into Gotham University and he was now a legal adult, so he really had nothing left to lose. He had nothing to fear. 

Jonathan decided to strike a week before his senior graduation. One day, while his Granny was out, Jonathan had to act quick and gather the materials needed for the recipe. He gathered the various herbs and pulled a dead rat from one of the various traps around the house. 

He had to work as fast as possible in the kitchen to create the formula and then rid the place of any evidence. Jonathan took one of Granny’s favorite dresses out of her closet and soaked the fabric in the newly created concoction. All he could do now was put the dress back in its place, allow the fabric to dry, then wait for the day she’d wear it so he could lure her outside. 

It wasn’t the most effective plan, but it wasn’t like he could force her to put it on as she did with him and his church outfit. It seemed like his best and only option. 

Lucky for him, it was two days later that Granny decided to wear the dress. Jonathan had to time things perfectly, or she’d be suspicious. 

Like many days before, his great-grandmother had him working away in the fields while she watched from her rocking chair on the back porch. Jonathan had nearly been out all day, but he’d decided to wait until evening to carry out his plan. 

Jonathan stopped plowing for a moment and pretended to look at something inside the hole he’d dug. He then looked up to where his granny was. 

“Granny, I think there’s something in the dirt. Come look,” he called out. 

“What’s that, boy?” she barked, “It’s prob’ly nothin’. Get back to work!” 

“I  _ really  _ think you should come see this!... please?” Jonathan begged.

His granny groaned and bickered to herself, but ultimately got up from her seat and slowly walked over to where Jonathan stood. 

“What is it, child? You better’ve not made me walk all the way out here for no reason than tuh--” 

His granny stopped herself when she noticed what seemed like a swarm above her head. It was a windy day, and Granny sitting out on that porch all afternoon probably drew in all the crows far and wide. 

They’d been hidden among the crops, just waiting, but they now had a chance to strike. 

Jonathan was no longer able to hide his wolf-like grin. His granny looked down at him, and her bewildered grimace morphed into a look of fury… and fear. 

“What did you do, boy?  _ What did you do!?”  _ she screeched and grabbed at his arm. 

“What you’ve been doin’ to me this whole time,” Jonathan laughed. 

The crows descended on her, then. They pecked and scratched at her eyes and her skin. She tried to swat at them, but she was already very weak. Jonathan turned to walk back towards the house. It was getting dark, and he wanted to give the crows the space to do their job. When he closed the back porch screen door, he finally heard Granny’s whines and screams start to die down. 

He’d worry about the rest in the morning. 

At least she’d met her end in her favorite dress. 

______________________________________

 

It had been the best night’s sleep he’d ever gotten. 

Very early in the morning, Jonathan walked back out into the fields to where his granny’s body lay. She was lying face down in the dirt with many bloody scratches all across her body. In a moment of curiosity, Jonathan bent down and prodded at her arm. It was cold and stiff. 

It was only then that it had finally sunk in what he’d done. Jonathan felt a weight lifted off his chest. 

He walked back inside and grabbed the telephone off its hook. He had to prepare himself for a moment before dialing 9-1-1 and listening to the first few rings. 

“ _ 9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”  _ asked the nice older woman on the other end of the line. 

Jonathan cleared his throat and sniffed. The operator couldn’t see him, but squeezing out some tears helped add to the effect. “I think my granny might be… dead…” he whispered. Jonathan allowed his voice to crack. 

_ “What’s your name, sweetheart?” _

“Jonathan Crane,” he answered. 

_ “Your granny is Mrs. Keeny?”  _ the operator asked. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

_ “Is she breathing?”  _ she asked. 

“No, ma’am. She’s cold, too. I think she went outside last night but never made it back in.” 

_ “Are you both at the old manor?” _

“Yes, ma’am,” Jonathan repeated. 

_ “I know where that is. I’ll send a cop your way, sweetheart. Hold tight.”  _

Poor little Jonathan Crane. It was almost too easy. 

______________________________________

 

“Well, son, it looks like some kind of freak animal attack.” the cop said. 

Both he and Jonathan watched as Crazy Keeny’s body was zipped up in a body bag and loaded onto an ambulance. The cop spit his tobacco out on the dirt. 

“You’ll be alright?” the officer asked. 

“Life won’t ever be the same,” Jonathan replied. And it was true, but for reasons far beyond the cop’s knowledge. “I’ll have to do somethin’ ‘bout the house. I’m goin’ off to college soon. Can’t stay here.”

The cop only nodded. He patted Jonathan on the shoulder. “Take care of yourself, son.” and walked off. 

Back in the house, Jonathan grabbed a couple of empty boxes and set them by the front door. He’d received a full-ride scholarship to Gotham University, but Jonathan had to make his way up there himself. 

He could always hotwire some old truck down at the convenience store parking lot. He could learn how to do that as well as he’d learned just about everything else.  

It’d be a long, long ride, but God, would it be worth it. 

Jonathan had been fuming and scheming for so many years. Now was finally his chance to get payback for all the harm everyone in this damn town had caused him. 

Things  _ everyone  _ had done to him. 

He would show them fear. 

One day. 

He could be very, very patient. 


End file.
